Oliver Herring

Oliver Herring, Untitled (A Flower for Ethyl Eichenberger), Knit transparent tape, 1991

Oliver Herring was born in Heidelberg, Germany in 1964, and lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. This artist is inspirational to me because we work in similar ways through weaving, and knitting with alternative materials such as Mylar, wire and transparent tape. Herring is also known for his expressionistic paintings, and performance art. His work has always been about stripping things away and generating art with simple and accessible materials.

The piece above explores the relationship of death and the “hidden something that unlocks somebody”. This ghostly form, which evoked introspection, mortality, and memory is Herring’s homage to Ethyl Eichelberger, a performance artist who died unexpectedly in 1991. He felt that the process of his work helped him work through his feelings. Knitting and weaving allowed him time to open up, really empathize and think. Herring believed that the time it took to create a finished product was important to heal.


“Once you sensitize yourself to understanding that even the narrowest thing is explorable –infinitely-it’s liberating. “

This is a British street artist with an international reputation. I want to know your thoughts on this piece.

Art Nouveau

House in Brussels, Victor Horta

Vase, Louis Comfort Tiffany, 1903, favrile glass

Alphonse Mucha, La Dame aux Camélias. 1896. Color lithograph

Art Nouveau (new art) is one of my favorite art movements; inspiration for my own work. The artists of this time believed in Gesamtkunstwerk the philosophy that all the of the arts should work in harmony to create a "total work of art." Art Nouveau, 1890-1914, explores a new style in the visual arts and architecture that developed in Europe and North America at the end of the nineteenth century. This movement attempted to create an international aesthetic based on decoration. The movement also was highly influenced by the Industrial Revolution and artists started to embrace the use of cast iron in their work. The style completely took over the city and homes during this time in decoration and architecture. Nature was a big inspiration for the artists of this movement, they started to explore that humans were no longer more important than nature but a huge part of it, and were fascinated about how these relationships work together. Notable design features are the clear whiplash curve, and natural forms. The World’s Fair held in Paris in 1900 made the movement important to the world. Artists that I love (to name a few) from this movement are: Alphonse Mucha, Victor Horta, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Art In Our Area

20 Elements, Joel Shapiro

Street Scene, Gugger Petter

Ad Astra, Mark di Suvero

Corridor Pin, Blue, Claes Oldenburg

Check out these famous artworks that are on view at Northpark Center, it is really an outstanding place to view art! Take some time and notice Gugger Petter's work behind the check out counter in Nordstrom's shoe department (she also weaves with paper). The cool Oldenberg in the garden courtyard. Joel Shapiro's work outside of Nordstrom, and Mark Di Suvero's sculpture by Forever 21. Next time you are heading to the mall, take a few minutes and really notice the things surrounding you.

Don't, Amanda Batson, Mixed Media Weaving, 2006

I wanted to speak a little bit about some of my own work. I enjoy weaving with found objects, particularly with paper. I created this weaving in 2006 from a collection of newspaper articles about the War that started as a result of 9-11. I cut strips of the news articles and spun them creating the material for my weft. In weaving, the weft is the material which is drawn under and over parallel warp yarns to create a fabric. I had personal journal entries (written in red pen) that were written by me from September 11th 2001-2006 that I included in the weft. This aspect made my piece even more personal, it really helped me deal with my emotions. I cut out the rectangular pieces you see above and placed red, white, and blue pieces of yarn in the negative space, to represent the World Trade Centers. I stained the weaving in parts with tea to create the feeling of burning and to try to display the anxiety that the nation was feeling at the time.

Francisco Goya

Condesa de Altamira and Her Daughter, Maria Agustina, oil on canvas, Francisco Goya, 1787–88

This portrait is one of four that Goya painted of members of Count Altamira's family. Shortly after this portrait was completed Francisco Goya became the court painter for King Charles IV of Spain. Becoming a court painter was highly important to advance an artist's career and to keep them monetarily stable. Goya's treatment of fabric in this oil painting is brilliantly detailed and carefully rendered. He truly shows his skill as a painter. Many critics also believe that the faces of the family show his inner thoughts about the human psyche.

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters: Plate 43 of The Caprices (Los Caprichos), Etching, aquatint, drypoint, and burin, Francisco Goya y Lucientes, 1799

This is one of my favorite Goya etchings, and probably the most well known; his work is very profound and thought provoking which makes it an interesting study. This piece was made for the series Los Caprichos, it is print number 43 out of 80. 43 shows the personification of reason. Goya envisioned himself in a dream state surrounded by his drawing tools, but he intended to focus this work on the darkness and deceptions of sleep. This nightmare depiction showed how he viewed the Spanish (his own) society at this time, and the modern day demons he felt his community was facing, when reason was no longer present in his world. In this dream state these beasts are let loose. He felt as if he was surrounded by very corrupt society of people in Madrid. These prints in Los Caprichos began to really display the artist's sense of isolation from an illness he suffered that had made him completely deaf. In this piece you can see his angst and torment with his heavy head buried in his arms. He hoped that the Spaniards would reawaken reason.

With the confines of being a court painter and knowing that Goya struggled with many things that create a living nightmare: suffering, war, a fracturing society, hunger, the human mind. Do you think it effected his slow isolation?

I'm interested in your views. Please post!!

Some of Goya's amazing prints are right here in Dallas at The Meadows Museum at SMU.

Requiem Aeternam, Amanda Batson, Mixed Media, 2008

I am excited to start my first blog, and thrilled that I have a forum to talk about art! I hope you enjoy what I plan to share, and am looking forward to your posts! WELCOME